[plug] Linux Drivers

[Chris Caston]

On Mon, 2004-06-07 at 23:23, Brock Woolf wrote:
> These days i've managed to grasp a lot of Linux terms and ways of doing
> things, however, the thing I don't know about is Drivers on Linux
> 
> I have read articles on updating your Nvidia drivers by running your
> nvidia123.x86.sh file in command line without X running then changing
> your Xfree file line from "nv" to "nvidia" intermediate at most, but how
> would you install a sound card driver for example??
> Can Linux drivers be installed as a plugin, as in Windows Drivers? Such
> as getting a Creative_Vibra128snd.rpm file and simply installing it?
> Or do you have to re-compile your Kernel? which I have never done and
> think may be dangerous as i could render my system useless.
> Can anyone shed some light on this?

Depends if you want ALSA support or OSS.

I tend to just use OSS as it is easier. There is an app called sndconfig
(it's in Debian at least) that will detect your sound card and setup OSS
for you. It will then play a sound file through you speakers a special
message to you from Linus ;-)

Usually you install a module (cmpci is mine for example) and kudzu or
discover can also detect this for you.

I haven't tried to setup ALSA in a while but it's supposed to be better
not sure why.
> 
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